Related Articles

Mr Kennedy, determined to displace the Tories as the biggest opposition party, said the Conservatives were doing no more than "treading water" despite gaining more than 600 seats.

"They have made gains, but if we compare it with similar results under William Hague, they are not doing much more than treading water," he said.

"Those results for Mr Hague were followed by a pretty dire general election result. So they have a long way to go."

Small parties and one issue candidates - including John Swinburne, 72, elected to the Scottish parliament for the Scottish Senior Citizens' Unity Party - also did well as voters registered their disillusion with Labour.

Independents won Torridge, which had been under no overall control, and took Mansfield from Labour.

A retired GP, Jean Turner, who campaigned on a ticket of saving the local hospital also won Strathkelvin and Bearsden from Labour.